The Houston Rockets have some work to do this offseason after they were surprisingly eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs this past campaign. While there were some encouraging signs from this team throughout the year, they ultimately fell short of the sky-high expectations that were surrounding them.
It certainly didn’t help that their starting point guard, Fred VanVleet, missed the entire season after he suffered a torn ACL in September. At this point, it’s fair to say there are some questions revolving around VanVleet’s future, but he recently made a big decision on his contract status ahead of the start of free agency.
Fred VanVleet Opts in to $25 Million Rockets Contract
VanVleet has spent the past three years with the Rockets after going from an undrafted free agent with the Toronto Raptors to an All-Star-caliber player during his first seven seasons in the league. In addition, VanVleet helped the Raptors win the 2019 NBA Finals, giving him the sort of veteran experience this young Houston team needs.
Losing VanVleet hurt the Rockets so much last season because he had become their primary ballhandler in the backcourt. Without him, Houston didn’t have a true facilitator on offense, which made things a bit of a jumbled mess at times. While a guy like Kevin Durant is obviously good enough to create his own looks, other players need someone who can help create open looks for them.
That’s what VanVleet specialized in during his first two seasons with the Rockets. Missing all of last year was certainly a blow for the veteran guard, but he still had control of his future with Houston (at least for the time being) thanks to a $25 million player option in his contract. Considering how last year went for him, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that he opted into his deal with the team.
“Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet is opting into his $25 million player option for the 2026-27 season, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN,” NBA insider Shams Charania reported in a post on X.
Rockets Hoping Fred VanVleet Can Return to Form Next Season
GettyHOUSTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 20: Fred VanVleet #5 of the Houston Rockets dribbles against the Indiana Pacers during the second half at Toyota Center on November 20, 2024 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
The $25 million price tag is probably a little bit more expensive than the Rockets would like to pay for a player who is coming back from a serious injury, but if VanVleet can return and play as he has for much of his career, this will be a good value deal for the team. Houston could conceivably look to trade VanVleet if it doesn’t like his contract or his injury status, but it would have to find a proper replacement at the point guard position if it were to do that.
The most likely outcome is that VanVleet will reprise his role as the team’s starting point guard when the Rockets return to action next season. After salary cap restrictions prevented the front office from finding a true replacement for him last year, though, look for the team to add some more depth in the backcourt over the next few weeks, even with VanVleet back on the books for the 2026-27 campaign.
Fred VanVleet Makes $25 Million Decision on Rockets Future